Last 18 Balls

COMMENTARY

Australia won by 5 wkts | India Vs Australia Live Score 1st ODI match

For now, this is Sidhant Maheshwari, signing off on behalf of Mani, Bharath and my co-commentators, Sagar Chawla, Raju Peethala, Pradeep and Ramakrishnan! See you on Friday folks!

That's it from us then! After this runfest at the furnace, the action now shifts to the Gabba, considered by many as the fastest and the bounciest pitch in Australia (contrary to the popular opinion that it's WACA). The Indians though will definitely have their task cut out when they face the Aussies in the second ODI on Friday. Will the hosts continue their march and take a 2-0 lead? Or will the Indians bounce back to level the series? We'll have to wait till Friday for all the answers. Don't forget to join us then to catch all the action from that game.

Steven Smith is the Man of the Match for his 135-ball 149

He displayed all strokes in his armoury and looked as if he was batting on a different planet. Although the Aussie skipper mistimed a few, the Indian fielders too helped his cause by serving short stuff. To aggravate matters, Indian fielding was below par bar Bhuvi's well-judged catch at long-off. Despite losing Bailey and Big Show Maxi towards the end, it was a job too easy for Smith and the local boy (Mitch Marsh). Dhoni would surely be a worried man with the Indian spin-twin show, who both leaked in excess of 6 runs-per-over.

Crikey! Fun apart. When Rohit and Kohli recorded the highest stand for the second wicket (against Australia), an optimistic Indian fan would have sensed an Indian victory, but it wasn't to be. Smith and Bailey too notched up a 200 plus-run stand between them making it the first time that the game has seen two 200-run partnerships in an ODI. Barinder Sran showed glimpses of good future as the lanky left-arm pacer consumed the Aussie openers with his subtle variations. Bailey, who was strangled down leg first ball (the umpire didn't spot the glove on that though) went on to pile on the runs with a flurry of fluent strokes and good running between the wickets. Do I really need to speak about Smith? I better chose not to.

In case you've just joined us, wondering how on earth did India lose this match, despite Rohit bludgeoning 171 and India recording their highest ODI score versus Australia in Australia. Well! Let me keep it simple for you. India have been STEVENSMUMTHED - if I'm allowed to say so. With all due respect to George Bailey who too played a crucial hand in making the target look easy. Jeez! Smithy just loves batting against India. During the last summer when he was making merry of Indian bowlers, he told this to one of his team-members: 'They are not going to get me out mate! Not this summer.' They did get him out today, but not before he recorded his highest ODI score and bailed Australia out of trouble.

49.2Barinder Sran to James Faulkner. 1 run, Australia win by 5 wickets!They take a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series!. Pitched up on middle stump line, Faulkner gently drives it down to long-on for an easy run. The players walk off after shaking hands with each other.

49.2Barinder Sran to James Faulkner.wide, slower ball that goes down the leg-side, Faulkner gives the charge but fails to tickle it fine past the keeper, the umpire signals a wide and scores are level now

James Faulkner, right handed bat, comes to the crease

3 wickets for Barinder Sran. Barinder Sran is on a roll.
5 wickets down for AUS. Out batsman is Steven Smith
49.1Barinder Sran to Steven Smith.out Caught by Kohli!! Ohh dear! Smith is a disappointed man as he misses out on his 150 by a solitary run. Nevertheless, it has been a brilliant knock from the Australian skipper. Walks back to a standing ovation from the crowd, waves his bat around to soak in the applause. Coming to the ball, it was the off-pace delivery from Sran, completely outfoxed Smith, who pushes at it with hard hands, ends up spooning it straight to Kohli at short cover. the easiest of catches for him. Out comes finisher Faulkner. Smith c Kohli b Barinder 149(135) [4s-11 6s-2]

Barinder to Smith, THAT'S OUT!! Caught!!

Barinder Sran [9.0-0-54-2] is back into the attack

End of over 49 ( 4 Runs )AUS 308/4Mitchell Marsh* 12(13)Steven Smith 149(134)48.6Umesh Yadav to Mitchell Marsh. no run, good yorker to finish the over. Speared in on off and middle, Marsh had to quickly get his bat down in time to jam it out towards mid-wicket

48.5Umesh Yadav to Steven Smith. 1 run, full on the stumps, Smith clips it through the mid-wicket region, there's protection in the deep and the batsmen have to be content with a single. On 149 now

48.4Umesh Yadav to Steven Smith. no run, just short of a good length and in the channel outside off, Smith steers it straight to backward point. Smith needs 2 more to get to 150.

48.3Umesh Yadav to Mitchell Marsh. 1 run, easy as you like. Opens the face of the bat and runs it down to third man to get his skipper back on strike

48.2Umesh Yadav to Steven Smith. leg byes, 1 run, stifled appeal for an lbw but it was a little too high. Short of length and on off and middle, Smith hops on his toes but fails to tuck this one away, wears it on the pad. The batsmen sneak in a leg bye as the ball rolls away towards the third man region

48.1Umesh Yadav to Mitchell Marsh. 1 run, banged in short and at the batsman, Marsh looks to pull it away fine, can only get it off the toe-end and the batsmen take a single as the ball trickles away through the square leg region

End of over 48 ( 6 Runs )AUS 304/4Mitchell Marsh* 10(10)Steven Smith 148(131)47.6Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Mitchell Marsh. 1 run, just short of a good length and outside off, Marsh opens the face of the bat on the punch and gets it to the right of short third man, the batsmen pick another easy single

47.5Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Steven Smith. 1 run, another one that's shortish in length outside off, Smith gets behind the line and punches it past the non-striker, another single taken as the ball dribbles away to long-on

Australia and India will face off in the first One-Day International (ODI) of the series at the Western Australia Cricket Association (WACA) in Perth on January 12, 2016. Australia and India meet for ODIs in Australia for the second time in two years, with India having toured Australia in 2014-15 as well just ahead of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. On that occasion India and Australia were joined in a tri-series also comprising England. India fared rather poorly, and did not look like they would win a single game in that series. That they reached the semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 merely a month later is a testament to how well they were able to raise their game in the game's premier tournament.

Not a lot has changed for India since the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Their team will wear virtually the same look, with at most the bowling attack changing slightly. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Akshar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Umesh Yadav are likely to be common with at most the likes of Ishant Sharma coming in if Mohammed Shami is still unfit.

There could be a few questions over Mohit Sharma and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's inclusion, but given India's dearth of pace bowling talent it is conceivable that they will continue to play. India might also consider bringing in the likes of Manish Pandey, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Robin Uthappa, and others given their impressive run in domestic cricket.